What we are
by Sunniva
Summary: Something terrible happened eight years ago. Something that affected the entire magical community, both on the good side and bad. It left the Halliwells a broken family. Now Chris is struggling to live his life the way he wants not knowing he is in danger


**Summery:** Something terrible happened eight years ago. Something that affected the entire magical community, both on the good side and bad. It left the Halliwells a broken family. Now Chris is struggling to live his life the way he wants not knowing he is in danger, from both sides.

**Disclaimer**: I do not owe Charmed and its character. I only borrow and will not make any money or any other profit from this.

**Warning:** Rating because of swear worlds.

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"I'm home," Chris called out as he walked through the door. He waited a few seconds for a reply but gave up when nothing but silence meet him. "Not that anyone seems to care anymore," he muttered and closed the front door.

When he walked through the hall, his destination being the stairwell, his gaze couldn't help but move over the photographs on the wall. It was like he was being pulled to them. Before, when people would still visit the Halliwell Manor, almost all of them had noted the pull the photos had on them. Like magic, they would say.

The first one was of him and Wyatt. They were only five and seven years old, posing together for the first time. Both were smiling on the picture. The next was a family photo; Piper was sitting on a chair, Wyatt was standing beside her, Leo was standing behind her holding Chris and the newest addition to the family was in Pipers arms. The one after that was another photo of the children. In this one Wyatt was twelve, Chris ten and their little sister Prudence was five. There were several other photos both family and with only the children after that.

Chris stopped at the end of the wall where the last picture hung. It was another family photo of the five. Piper and Leo was standing together looking happy and in love. In front of them stood fifteen year old Wyatt with his normal mischievous look in his eyes. Thirteen year old Chris stood next to his older brother and eight year old Prue, a smaller copy of their mother, stood in front of them with a hand on her shoulders from each brother. It was the last photo ever capturing Prue on picture. Three weeks later she was dead and everything changed.

Chris pulled himself away as dark memories once again came to him like it always would when he looked at it. Doing his best for his mind not to dwell there he continued and tried to think of something happier. Unfortunately nothing in this house could ever be considered happy anymore, and it had been so for eight years.

"Chris, your home," the voice of his mother said. Once again he stopped and looked at her where she stood under the archway splitting the hall and the dining room. Piper looked old. Maybe she was old, nearing the fifties as she was. But up until eight years ago she had aged with grace but that had all stopped as the catastrophe was happening around them and Prue was one of those who died. Over night Piper seemed to age twenty years and she never gotten those years back.

"Hi, Mom. I didn't know you were home," Chris lied. Piper actually never left the Manor anymore no matter how much everyone tried to make her. Finally they just gave up and let her be.

"How's Bianca?" Piper wondered smiling slightly, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Not because she didn't like Bianca, Chris had actually no idea what Piper thought of his girlfriend, but because she didn't care. She asked out of curtsey but had no interest in the answer.

"She's fine," Chris said. Maybe he would have elaborated, doing another useless attempt at getting Piper interested in his life, maybe he wouldn't have. But at that moment twenty-three year old Wyatt came stomping down the stairs and the moment was lost.

"Can you be louder, Wyatt, I don't think they heard you in the Underworld," Chris said.

"Fuck off," was his reply as he brushed past his brother and mother. Piper sighed and followed her oldest son into the kitchen leaving Chris at the bottom of the stairs.

"Aren't we all sunshine and roses today," he murmured and started going up. Moments later he was inside his room, a room that first belonged to his Aunt Prue before she died and then to Paige. After Paige moved out there had been arguing between Chris and Wyatt as to who would get the room, both wanted it and wouldn't back of. Finally Piper had stepped in when it seemed like the two boys would use magic on each other to solve problem. Chris had gotten the room and Wyatt had to back of, angry and jealous.

He now looked around the room. It was nearly empty and resembled more of a guestroom then one where a young man would live in. The only things there were a bed, a desk, empty bookshelves and a closet. He had been more then happy to move his things to Bianca when she suggested they would move together. And then when it was only left telling his mother he was moving out Leo stepped in.

The Elder, who no longer had the privilege of being called father, spent most of his time Up There. He hardly came down anymore, and when he did it was to ask something from Chris and Wyatt. After Prue died and Piper changed and forgot about everything else Leo changed too. He lost his daughter and seemingly his wife, and conveniently forgot he had two sons that also needed someone after losing their sister and several friends. He began to spend more time Up There and left the care of his family to his sons and their aunts. When Phoebe and Paige no longer was able to stand seeing what was happening to their sister, not to mention they too were grieving over lost family and friends, they stopped coming to the Manor and the work for the Manor, P3 and Pipers restaurant _Enchanted Delight_ was handed over to Chris and Wyatt. Leo didn't care.

But when Chris had the chance at getting away from this sad, gloomy and miserable house, Leo came and stopped him. According to Leo Piper wouldn't be able to live if Chris moved out. She only had Chris, he said, since Wyatt was to busy with P3. When Chris pointed out he was manager of the restaurant and was just as busy as Wyatt Leo moved to the next argument. It was Chris's duty as Pipers son to look after her now that Piper wasn't herself. Chris said that as Piper's husband Leo should do that too. Leo had murmured something about having too many obligations as an Elder. Then that son of a bitch had moved on to threats when he noticed he couldn't change Chris's mind. "Your girlfriend can be seen as either good or bad, being a Phoenix. It's a matter of opinion." He had gone on and said that the Elders had contacts with some of the world's best assassins that wouldn't hesitate to kill her for them.

So Chris stayed but spent as much time possible at Bianca's where they were planning a way for him to move to her permanently without risking her life.

What no one knew was that the Underworld, that too suffered eight years earlier, was getting stronger. And Chris was not only in danger from them but also from one on the good side.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
